THE DAILY WHIP: TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2011

House Meets At:

First Vote Predicted:

Last Vote Predicted:

10:00 a.m.: Morning Hour12:00 p.m.: Legislative Business

Fifteen “One Minutes” per side

12:30 – 1:30 p.m.

6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

H.Res. 236 - Rule providing for consideration of both H.R. 1213 and H.R. 1214 (Rep. Upton – Energy and Commerce) (One Hour of Debate) The Rules committee has recommended a structured-closed Rule that provides for consideration of two separate bills.

For H.R. 1213, the Rule makes in order 5 amendments and waives all points of order against them. The Rule also makes in order one motion to recommit on H.R. 1213, with instructions. It provides one hour of general debate on the legislation. The Rules committee rejected a number of amendments offered by Democratic Members, including an amendment offered by Mr. Welch, which would have provided for a GAO study on the effect that H.R. 1213 will have on the number of uninsured Americans.

For H.R. 1214, the Rule contains a pre-printing requirement which allows for any member to offer an amendment, as long as that amendment was pre-printed in the Congressional Record the night before. The Rule also provides for pro forma amendments under the 5 minute Rule. It also makes in order one motion to recommit on H.R. 1214, with instructions. Lastly, it provides for one hour of general debate on H.R. 1214.

H.R. 1213 - To repeal mandatory funding provided to States in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to establish American Health Benefit Exchanges (Rep. Upton – Energy and Commerce) (1 Hour of Debate) H.R. 1213 would repeal the section in the Affordable Care Act that provided funding for the creation and facilitation of state-based health insurance exchanges. H.R. 1213 also rescinds any unobligated funds that have already been applied to this program.

As stated by the Congressional Budget Office, H.R. 1213 would result in both higher premiums and higher costs for employers who provide health insurance. CBO also found that the enactment of H.R. 1213 would increase the number of Americans without health insurance, by approximately 500,000 and result in 2 million fewer people enrolled in health insurance exchanges. This bill does not create jobs, and it continues the pursuit of a misguided ideological agenda to defund Health Care Reform.

Begin Consideration of H.R. 1214 - To repeal mandatory funding for school-based health center construction (Rep. Burgess – Energy and Commerce) (1 Hour of Debate) H.R. 1214 would repeal a provision in the Affordable Care Act that provides funding for the construction of school health centers. It also rescinds any unobligated funds that have already been appropriated to this program.

Currently, over 1,900 school based health centers (SBHCs) provide more than two million students with access to primary, mental and oral health care services, and this legislation ignores the studies which have demonstrated that the SBHC model is a critical and cost-effective part of our nation’s health care safety net for children and adolescents. Currently, there are over 350 applications pending for these one-time grants, submitted from all regions of our country and representing rural, urban and suburban communities. This bill does not create jobs and continues the GOP Leadership’s pattern of pursuing an ideological agenda and focusing on the wrong priorities.

“After 10 days of trying to sell constituents on their plan to overhaul Medicare, House Republicans in multiple districts appear to be increasingly on the defensive, facing worried and angry questions from voters and a barrage of new attacks from Democrats and their allies. The proposed new approach to Medicare — a centerpiece of a budget that Republican leaders have hailed as a courageous effort to address the nation’s long-term fiscal problems — has been a constant topic at town-hall-style sessions and other public gatherings during a two-week Congressional recess that provided the first chance for lawmakers to gauge reaction to the plan.”